Chapter 17 Current Electricity

Learning Outcomes

(a) What is an electric current?

• An electric current is formed in a closed circuit when there are _____________ ______________.
• For example, when electrons (charge) flow through a conducting path in a circuit.
• An electric current I is a measure of the __________ of flow of ____________ ___________ Q
through a given cross section of a conductor

Formula:

I is the current, Q is the charge, and t is the time taken. The SI unit is the __________ (A)

1
Example 1
The diagram shows an electric circuit. The amounts of charge, which flowed in 6 s through resistor A, B and
point D, are indicated.

a) What was the amount of charge, which flowed through resistor C in 6 s?

b) What was the current, which flowed through C?

(b) Conventional current and electron flow

• The movement of electrons from a _____________ charged end (negative terminal) of a cell
towards the ____________ charged end (positive terminal) is known as electron flow.

• Conventional current flow is the flow of positive charge from a ____________ charged end to a
__________ charged end.

Electric charge (optional)

• Either electrons or positive charges. Because they are so numerous, a simpler number is used to
represent them.
• Charge is measured in coulomb (C)
• 1 C of charge à 6.25 × 1018 electrons

(d) Electromotive Force (e.m.f)

• The electromotive force (e.m.f) of an electrical energy source is defined as the _________
_________ by the source (battery) in driving a unit ________ round a ___________ ____________.

W
e=
Q
e is the e.m.f of the power supply, W is the amount of electrical energy converted from non-electrical forms
(work done) and Q is the amount of charge

• The SI unit of e.m.f is _________________ (J/C) or _________ (V)

2
Example 2
A 9.0 V battery of negligible internal resistance is connected to a light bulb. Calculate the energy transferred
in the light bulb when 20 C of charge flows through it.

(g) Potential difference (p.d.)

• The potential difference (p.d) between _________ points in an electric circuit is defined as the
amount of electrical ____________ converted to ______________________________________
when one coulomb of positive charge passes between the two points.

W
V=
Q
where V is the potential difference, W is the electrical energy converted to other forms and Q is the amount
of charge.
The SI unit for potential difference is the volt (V).

Voltmeter

A voltmeter is used to measure emf or

potential difference. It is connected in
parallel with the component whose emf or
p.d. it is measuring. A voltmeter has
infinite resistance (very very high) so
that no current can flow through it.

Potential difference and electromotive force

Example 3
The potential difference across a light bulb is found to be 3.0 V. The current flowing through it is 0.40 A.
(a) How much charge flows through the light bulb in 2.0 min?
(b) How much electrical energy is dissipated by this charge?

3
(h) Resistance

• It measures how difficult it is for an electric current to pass through a material.

• It is a property of the material that restricts the movement of free electrons in the material.
• The resistance R of a component is defined as the ratio of the voltage or potential difference
V across it to the current I flowing through it. (MEMORISE)
• The SI unit for resistance is ohm (W)

V
R=
I

Resistor
• A resistor is a conductor in a circuit that has a known value of resistance.

• They are mainly used to vary the size of the current flowing in a circuit.

• There are two types of resistors — fixed resistors and variable resistors (or rheostats).

Variable resistor Fixed resistors

(j) Determining Resistance R

1. Adjust the variable resistor such that its resistance is maximum. (why?)

2. Close the switch

3. Record the voltmeter and ammeter reading

4. Adjust the variable resistor to obtain other voltmeter and ammeter readings for a total of six sets of
readings (the voltage range should be more than half of the emf of the battery)

5. Plot a graph of voltage against current

6. The gradient of the straight line is the resistance of the component

4
(k) Resistance in a series circuit

Resistance in a parallel circuit

Formula:

Example 4
a) Calculate the current I.

b) What is the potential difference across the 2Ω

resistor?

Example 5
a) Calculate the effective resistance.

b) Calculate the current I.

c) Calculate the potential difference across the 2Ω and 4Ω resistor.

5
Example 6

a) Calculate the effective resistance.

b) Calculate the current I.

Example 7
a) Find the currents I1, I2, I3

b) What is the voltage or potential difference across the 10 Ω and 20

Ω resistors?

c) Calculate the effective resistance of the 10Ω and 20Ω resistors.

Example 8

Find I1, I2 and R

Example 9
The circuit shows a light bulb connected to 3 resistors and a 12 V source. Initially, all the switches are
opened.

Fig 7
(a) S1 is opened and S2 and S3 are closed.

(i) Calculate the total resistance between points P and Q.

(ii) The ammeter registers a reading of 0.3 A. Calculate the resistance of the light bulb.

(iii) The lamp is switched on for 2 minutes. Calculate the amount of energy consumed by the
lamp.

6
(l) Resistivity ρ

• The longer a wire, the higher its resistance

• The bigger the cross sectional area of a wire, the lower its resistance
• The resistance of a wire is therefore directly proportional to its length and inversely
proportional to cross sectional area
𝑅∝𝐿
1
𝑅∝
𝐴
𝐿
𝑅=𝜌
𝐴

(m) Ohm’s Law

• For a metallic conductor that obeys Ohm’s Law, the current flowing through it is directly proportional
to the potential difference across it provided physical conditions remain constant

(n) Effect of temperature on the resistance of a metallic conductor

• When temperature of a metallic conductor increases, the atoms in it vibrate more energetically. The
mobile electrons moving through the conductor collide more frequently with the atoms and slow
down. This reduces the rate of flow of charge (current) through the conductor and the resistance
(R = V/I) increases

(o) I-V graphs

Ohmic conductor: Metallic conductor at constant temperature

7
 Non ohmic conductors
Filament lamp Semiconductor diode

The lamp has a low resistance (small V/I) at first The resistance change is not now due to a
(i.e. small applied voltage). However as the temperature change; in fact the diode is an
voltage increases, the current increases less almost perfect 'one way' device. For positive
rapidly. As the lamp heats up, its resistance voltages above about 0.5 V, the resistance (V/I)
increases, as evidenced by the decreasing slope is very low, and the diode is an excellent
of the graph. (Note: Ohm's law generally applies conductor. For voltages of the opposite polarity,
to metals at constant temperature.) the resistance is very high: the diode hardly
conducts at all.

8
 D.C. Circuits

Circuit Components

1
Current in a series circuit

Current in a series circuit is the ___________ throughout.

Potential difference in a series circuit

In a series circuit, the ______ of the potential difference across each component is equal to the potential
difference across the ____________ circuit ( = emf of the source).

i.e. Vε = V1 + V2 = ε

Resistance

V
R=
I

Total resistance in series:

Example 1

a) What is the total resistance in the circuit shown above?

b) What are the readings shown on ammeters A1 and A2?

c) What is the p.d. across each resistor?

2
Current in a parallel circuit

I = I1 + I2

Potential difference in a parallel circuit

Potential difference across components in parallel is equal

Vε = V1= V2 = ε

Total resistance in parallel

Example 2

a) Find the currents I1, I2, I3

b) What is the voltage or potential difference across the 10 Ω and 20 Ω

resistors?

c) Calculate the effective resistance of the 10Ω and 20Ω resistors.

3
Find the effective resistance of each of the following:

a) (b)

(c)

Example 3

Find I1, I2 and R

Potential Difference in terms of energy

4
Example 4
Determine the reading on V1, V2 and A.

Example 5

The circuit shows a light bulb connected to 3 resistors and a 12 V source. Initially, all the switches are
opened.

Fig 7

(a) S1 is opened and S2 and S3 are closed.

(i) Calculate the total resistance between points P and Q.

(ii) The ammeter registers a reading of 0.3 A. Calculate the resistance of the light bulb.

(iii) The lamp is switched on for 2 minutes. Calculate the amount of energy consumed by the
lamp.

(b) S1, S2 and S3 are now closed. Describe and explain how the brightness of the lamp has changed
as compared to (a).

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

(c) The 8Ω resistor is a cylindrical wire of length L and radius R made from a certain type of material. It
is replaced by another resistor of the same type but with 3 times the length and twice the radius.
Calculate its resistance.

5
Variable potential divider (voltage divider or potentiometer)

• It is a circuit with resistors arranged in series.

• With it, we can divide a main voltage into two or more voltages.

Uses: e.g. street lamps, burglar alarms, thermostats

Type I (2 fixed resistors)

Question 1

Calculate Vout.

Type II (Replace one of the fixed resistors with a variable resistor)

Question 2

The circuit shows a 9 V battery connected in series with a variable resistor R 1 and a 50  resistor R2. The
resistance of the variable resistor R1 can vary from 0 to 100 . What are the maximum and minimum output
voltages?

6
Type III (Replacing the two resistors with a potentiometer)

• The position of sliding contact C determines the ratio of the resistance since R  l for a fixed cross-
sectional area.

• To obtain a larger output voltage, the slider contact C is moved towards _________.

Question 3

A 6 V battery of negligible internal resistance is connected to a potentiometer with a maximum resistance of

100 Ω. Calculate the output voltage Vout when the slider contact is at

(a) A,

(b) the midpoint between A and B.

(c) B.

Type IV (Replacing one of the resistors with a input transducer)

Transducers – Electrical or electronic devices that convert energy from one form to another.

 They respond to physical quantities like light and temperature.

 Input transducers – convert non electrical energy to electrical energy

e.g. microphones, thermistors, light dependent resistors, photocells, thermocouples, pressure sensors and
stress sensors

 Output transducers – convert electrical energy to other forms of energy

e.g. loudspeakers, lamps, LEDs, voltmeters and ammeters

7
NTC (negative temperature coefficient) Thermistor:

 Hot (more mobile electrons) – resistance decreases

 Cool (fewer mobile electrons) – resistance increases

e.g. air conditioner connected to Vout

When temperature increases > preset temperature RTH drops  VTH drops  Vout increases  Vout
switches on cooling unit in the air conditioner which lowers temperature.

LDR (light dependent resistor):

 Brightness increases (more mobile electrons) – resistance decreases;

 When brightness decreases (fewer mobile electrons) – resistance increases

e.g burglar alarm

Burglar shines a light on safe which has a LDR RLDR decreases VLDR decreases  Vout increases –
alarm activated

Question 4

A negative temperature coefficient thermistor is used in the following circuit to make a temperature
sensor.

Explain how the circuit works.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8
Question 5

Fig 5.1 shows a circuit whose output potential difference, VAIR varies with the surrounding air temperature.
Fig 5.2 shows how the resistance of the air temperature sensor varies with temperature.

Fig 5.1 Fig 5.2

(a) Name the input transducer that can be used as an air temperature sensor.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

(b) Show that at a temperature of 20˚C, the potential difference across the air temperature sensor, VAIR
is 4.0 V.

(c) Calculate the current in the circuit when the air temperature is 20˚C. Express your answer in units of
mA.

(d) How much power is dissipated in the 1000 Ω resistor when the air temperature is 20˚C?

(P = I2R)

Question 6

A student wants to provide lighting for a model house which she has made. She needs 3.0 V for her lamps
but only has a 9.0 V battery, so she uses a linear resistor AB in the circuit below. The linear resistor is made
from a high resistance uniform conductor.

Fig 7

(a) What is the name of the device AB when used in this manner?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

(b) State the voltmeter reading when the sliding contact is at:

(i) A ……………………………...…. (ii) B ………………………………………

9
 (c) Indicate on Fig 7 with the letter X to show where the sliding contact should be positioned such that
the voltmeter reading is 3.0 V..

(d) The student replaces the voltmeter with a 3.0 V lamp but the lamp does not light. Explain why the
lamp does not light.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………….

Difference between a rheostat and potential divider

A rheostat uses only two terminals of a variable resistor while a potential divider uses all three terminals

Rheostat

Potential divider

This means that when in use, the current in the lamp connected to a rheostat will never drop to 0 A while the
current in the lamp connected using a potentiometer circuit can be reduced to 0 A. (Why?)

10